Mixing Styles

A few years ago I started getting really bored with my decor 'style.'  I realized that I was trying to have a similar look for all of my belongings and it was boring after awhile.  I began reading magazines for inspiration and noticed that my favorite spaces combined multiple styles.  I like a little bit of everything to keep the look interesting and fresh.  'A' and I bought this square dining room table that has a nice heavy barn look (from Arhaus) and matched it with these really simple, modern plastic chairs from Design Within Reach.  The juxtaposition of the two styles works perfectly and everyone comments about how much they love our dining room.  

Show Off Your Bling!

I'm a "if I don't see it, it's not there" girl.  I consistently forget about all of the great things I own because I can't see everything.  This especially happens with earrings.  I end up wearing the same jewels all the time and feel boring without some fantastic earrings.  I love having my signature pieces (my gold/sapphire ring, antique gold necklace from Portugal and my Cartier Love bracelet from 'A'), but changing up earrings is so fun!  

I keep my earrings hung on this funky 'bust' with a chicken-wire skirt. I found it at a boutique in the Highlands area of Denver, but you can find great items like this in many boutiques.  This way I can see all of my earrings and make an effort to actually wear them!  

Also, if you're a shoe lover like I am, use your shoes as art!  These fantastic cowboy boots should not be hidden in the closet - these were made to show off - so I keep them in a book case, mixed in with books and picture frames.  My favorite cowboy boot shop is "Boots & Boogie" in Santa Fe, NM.  Roy, the owner, is a hoot and some people (including 'A') pay extra money to buy some of Roy's old worn-in boots!

Hanger Hanger on the Wall

This summer I did a home tour in Beaver Creek of some of the most exquisite mountain homes I have ever seen.  Aside from my constant calculating of how much money we would have to make in order to build one of these homes, I could not get my mind off of the disgusting hanger displays in the enormous closets in these homes.  Though these closets were larger than the 2 bedroom apartment I lived in in San Francisco and filled with designer clothing , the hangers were all mismatched, plastic, wire and all colors of the rainbow.  These people had thin plastic hangers holding up their furs!  That poor fox did not die so that it could hang on a turquoise tubular hanger.  I'm not anti-fur, I'm just anti-disrespecting your clothing.  Here's the deal - you will never love your closet until you have matching, functional hangers.  Whether you have a custom closet or you live in a rental with a pole and a shelf, matching hangers will change your life and preserve the life of your clothing.  

My favorite place to buy hangers is Hangers.com.  They have a huge variety of hangers in various finishes and I think their pricing is really good.  Also, for me, one of the most important things about working with a company is customer service - I only work with people who 'get it' - and they do.  

My absolute must-have hanger is this one....

It's called the Vinyl Hanger.  I prefer to purchase it in black, though white and light pink are available.  Black seems to show the least amount of dust... oh, Colorado is so dusty - I can't get over it!  This hanger is space-saving, keeps wide-neck shirts from slipping and, most importantly, you can hang delicate sweaters without getting 'pucker-marks' or stretching the fabric.  I prefer to hang rather than fold items because wrinkles are my enemy and I like to see what I own so I don't buy the same black shirt over and over again.  You can buy hangers to match your closet or buy a color that contrasts for a cool look.  My step-mom has a white California Closet and I got her all black hangers - very chic!

Hangers.com can also monogram your hangers which is very 'in' right now.  Monogrammed hangers make a great gift for a house-warming, wedding or new baby!

I won't show you my closet right now because we are remodeling our house and living in a rental for a few months.   I can't wait to show you our new custom closets in April!